# #45 Making maths fascinating, an interview with Ben Sparks and Katie Steckles

An episode of [Living Proof: the Isaac Newton Institute podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1633233409), 20 Sep 2022, 57 min.

Audio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1992011/episodes/11350813-45-making-maths-fascinating-an-interview-with-ben-sparks-and-katie-steckles.mp3

Send us Fan Mail Episode published 20/09/22 In episode #45 of Living Proof, Dan Aspel and Christie Marr are thrilled to meet Ben Sparks and Katie Steckles. Ben is a mathematician, musician and speaker based at the University of Bath who works with groups as diverse as the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme and the hugely popular Numberphile YouTube channel. Katie, meanwhile, is a mathematician and communicator who lectures at Sheffield Hallam University and is regularly found presenting entertaining and insightful talks everywhere from science festivals to schools and theatres to BBC radio and TV. As they often work together, these two experienced explainers and explorers of mathematics have much advice and insight to offer to the listener. 00:00 - Introduction 00:47 - Welcome 01:23 - About Katie 02:48 - About Ben 04:40 - Their work together 09:44 - Working remotely as a speaker and communicator, the pros and cons 14:20 - Specific advice on kit and equipment for communicating maths 22:40 - Is there something unique about communicating maths? 36:10 - Personal highlights of current work 46:00 - What to do when things go wrong: a mathematician's "emergency toolkit" 53:00 - What does the future hold? Find out more about Ben Sparks and Katie Steckles via... > www.bensparks.co.uk > katiesteckles.co.uk

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